[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 62 (Thursday, May 6, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4998-S4999]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. AKAKA:
  S. 2390. A bill to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
101 et seq.) to establish a Geospatial Management Office within the 
Department of Homeland Security to establish and maintain geospatial 
preparedness for homeland security purposes; to the Committee on 
Governmental Affairs.
  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Homeland 
Security Geospatial Information Act of 2004 which would create a 
Geospatial Management Office within the Department of Homeland Security 
(DHS). Geospatial information is a critical component of effective 
planning for homeland security.
  My interest in homeland security geospatial information developed out 
of my efforts to ensure support for pre-disaster mitigation programs, 
such as Project Impact. Project Impact was started by FEME in 1997 to 
help communities become disaster-resistant by preventing damage and 
loss of life and property during a disaster and reducing recovery time 
and costs afterwards.
  Geospatial technologies, such as satellite imagery and aerial 
photography, provide data that create the maps and charts that can help 
prevent a disaster from occurring or lessen the impact of an 
unforeseeable event by equipping first responders with up-to-date 
information. In the event of a terrorist chemical attack, knowing which 
way a contaminated plume will travel can save lives. Similarly, the 
damage of a natural disaster, such as wildfire, can be lessened by maps 
that help predict which areas will be in the path of the blaze.
  My own State of Hawaii is vulnerable to hurricanes, torrential rains 
and flooding, tsunamis, droughts, earthquakes, and even wildfires. Four 
years ago, flooding on the islands of Hawaii and Maui caused 
approximately $20 million in damage to private and public facilities. 
In order to predict floods more accurately, local officials need 
current, interoperable data on water levels and surrounding 
infrastructure so that accurate maps predicting the flow of water can 
be created on demand. Accurate maps are also critical for swift and 
safe evacuation procedures.
  All levels of government are more effective and efficient when 
employing geospatial technology, especially in the area of homeland 
security. Its uses include, but are not limited to: disaster early 
warning and mitigation, border monitoring, criminal investigations, 
public health protection, and critical infrastructure oversight.
  In the past, geospatial information management has been done in a 
piecemeal fashion. Domestic geospatial data procurement and sharing is 
poorly coordinated and managed. According to a 2003 study by Cary and 
Associates, a geotechnology consulting firm, the Federal 
Government spends $5 billion per year on geospatial goods and 
technologies. This figure does not include the amount being spent by 
State and local agencies, which some experts estimate is two to three 
times that of the

[[Page S4999]]

Federal Government. It is also estimated that at least half of the 
government's geospatial spending is going towards redundant activities.

  During a House Government Reform hearing in June 2003, Mark Forman, 
then the Administrator of the Office of E-Government and Information 
Technology, admitted that the Office of Management and Budget had no 
idea how much money federal agencies spend on geospatial procurement.
  The Administration's current solution to this problem is Geospatial 
One-Stop, an online portal where organizations and individuals can 
access geospatial information developed by Federal, State, and local 
agencies. While Geospatial One-Stop is a good sharing tool, it helps to 
reduce government redundancy only if agencies voluntarily access data 
from it instead of procuring the data themselves. With no one keeping a 
close eye on an agency's geospatial spending, there is no incentive for 
it to utilize this tool.
  The legacy agencies that make up DHS had traditionally managed their 
own geospatial procurement. But many of the homeland and non-homeland 
security missions of DHS complement each other. Sharing maps and data 
reduces redundancy, provides savings, and ensures better information 
for disaster response.
  Currently, the DHS Chief Information Officer (CIO) is working to 
break down this geospatial stove piping within the Department by naming 
a Geospatial Information Officer. However, there is no single office in 
DHS officially responsible for geospatial management, and therefore, no 
corresponding budget. In the present structure, the Geospatial 
Information Officer does not have the authority to compel the five DHS 
directorates to cooperate with his efforts. The entire agency should 
make geospatial coordination a priority.
  A geospatial management office needs to be created and codified 
within DHS. A congressionally mandated office would give the Geospatial 
Information Officer more authority with which to do this job.
  The Office of Geospatial Management has the potential to 
significantly increase the quality of the resources homeland security 
officials rely on by reducing redundancy and improving the quality of 
geospatial procurement. But in order to do this it needs authority and 
funding.
  This office would also serve as a mechanism for coordinating with 
State and local authorities. Much of the geospatial information 
available today is created at the state and local levels. Centralizing 
this information will make it more widely available to first responders 
and other homeland security officials.
  The Homeland Security Geospatial Act of 2004, will address these 
needs by: creating the Office of Geospatial Management under the CIO; 
giving this office the responsibility for managing DHS geospatial 
activities and coordinating with State and local officials on 
geospatial initiatives that pertain to homeland security; and naming 
the Department as member of the Geospatial One-Stop Board of Directors, 
which will give DHS a role in coordinating federal geospatial 
activities.
  We can improve the Department's mission of protecting America, while 
maximizing the funds. I urge my colleagues to support this important 
legislation.
                                 ______